What is the military band?

A sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe and is usually tied around the waist. “Sash” is an Arabic loan introduced into the English language in 1590.

Sashes are traditionally part of formal military attractions. Most European royal families wear sashes as part of their royal symbol. In Latin America and some African countries, a particular presidential sash indicates the authority of a president.

In France and Italy, public authorities and local representatives wear sash with the tricolor of the national flag and worn on the right shoulder. Similarly, Italian military officers wear light blue sashes over the right shoulder on official occasions. Sashes are a characteristic feature of the modern French army for parade uniforms. They are worn around the waist in dark blue or red by bodies like the Foreign Legion.

During the American Civil War (1861-65) silk sashes in crimson were approved for officers and red lace sashes for noncommissioned officers in the regular U.S. Army. Today, the blade has taken on a more official use ( sometimes unofficial) and less practical. Sashes are used in higher education opening ceremonies, by high school homecoming candidates, beauty pageants, as well as team parties.

The modern British Army retains a scarlet sash for use in certain dress orders of sergeants and superiors serving in infantry regiments, over the right shoulder to the left hip. Contemporary Indian and Pakistani armies make extensive use of belts for ceremonial clothing. The colors usually differ according to the division or branch and coincide with those of the turbans when they are worn. In general, two or more colors are incorporated into the sheet, in vertical stripes.

In addition to what was said above, several other modern armies preserve sashes for officers in ceremonial uniforms, such as the armies of Norway – sashes crimson, Sweden – yellow and blue, Greece – light blue and white, Netherlands – orange, Portugal – crimson and Spain – red and gold and also light blue. In Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland, the band represents the Orange Order. Initially, Orange Order girdles were of the shoulder-to-hip ceremonial variety worn by the British military.